At the WindEnergy Hamburg exhibition, DNV, the independent energy expert and assurance provider, has awarded two German offshore wind farms with Conformity Statements. The projects (N-3.7 & N-3.8) are both part of the Nordseecluster, which is jointly developed by RWE and Northland Power. The cluster has a total capacity of more than 1.5 GW and includes four offshore wind leases, which are located north of the German island of Juist.

The certificates awarded by DNV are crucial for the first release by the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH). Only by obtaining full project certification and all BSH releases, the wind farms can go into operation. In this certification step, DNV confirms that the design basis of both wind farms meet the BSH standard and are supporting the development of safe and reliable offshore wind farms in Germany.

To meet climate goals, Germany has ambitious targets for the development of offshore wind and is trying to find ways to support the industry with minimal financial subsidies. The country plans to install 30 GW of offshore wind power by 2030, 40 GW by 2035, and 70 GW by 2045.

“That the Conformity Statements have been awarded to us is a big step for the initial two projects of our Nordseecluster. In general it shows that the industry is maturing and offshore wind is becoming even more reliable and plannable,” explains Benjamin Miethling, representing Northland Power in the Management Board of the Nordseecluster.

“The awarded certificates bring us in a unique position,” adds Sven Schulemann, RWE’s Managing Director of the Nordseecluster. “We will be able to re-use the work for the design basis now and bundle our procurement activities for all four sites of the Nordseecluster.”

“Ensuring that renewable energy projects are realized in a very short time period while delivering safe and reliable energy is critical to further accelerate the energy transition in Germany,” says Kim Sandgaard-Mørk, Executive Vice President of Renewables Certification at DNV. “We are very pleased that our partnership with RWE and Northland Power is making a valuable contribution to reaching that goal and are looking forward to further support the Nordseecluster in the timely delivery of the full project certification for all of their offshore wind projects.”

Fabio Pollicino, Director for Project Certification at DNV adds: “Germany has very ambitious plans for offshore wind and all stakeholders need to get up to speed. As time critical milestones are set by the BSH throughout the project, working in well-aligned partnership between the project developer and certification body is crucial. Each missed deadline causes costly delays. DNV has been able to issue the Conformity Statements in one of the shortest time periods we have ever seen without compromising on quality and safety. This shows that DNV is prepared to support our customers and the energy transition with the much-needed speed.”